CHERCHEZ LA FEMME: FEMINISM AND TRANSFEMINISM

Do you feel like there are more trans folk visible in the public sphere right now? There seems to be a huge amount of interest and energy converging around transgender people and their lives, though not always in a way that is respectful or constructive. This show has been a long time in the works and we’re incredibly proud to finally be presenting Feminism and Transfeminism. We’re lucky in Melbourne to have an incredibly engaged, hard-working and beautiful feminist community, and trans folk are a massive part of that. This’ll be an opportunity for all of us to come together for some learning and listening as we examine some of the difficult questions that arise at the intersection of feminism, womanhood and the experience of being trans.

We cannot be more clear that this show will not tolerate any form of transphobia, in the form of denying trans existence and experience, and if you don’t believe trans women are women, then this is not a space for you. There won’t be any debate about the legitimacy of trans lives because this devalues them and contributes to their diminished dignity and safety. So that’s zero tolerance for any kind of transantagonism and if you ignore that you’ll be asked to leave. The show won’t be a 101-style educative discussion for cis people to find out things they didn’t know, but we very much hope will instead be an open and accessible space for the trans community to share, discuss, and converse about their experiences of feminism.

The guests and host for this evening are appearing in a spirit of generosity and openness we should all be grateful for, and we want to repay this with listening and learning. It’s going to be a fantastic discussion, and we cannot wait. CLF is about femmos getting together over a few drinks and shooting the breeze with some funny, cool, smart babes on the mics. So check out this stellar lineup!

Grace Lee: counsellor and psychotherapist, former president of Transgender Victoria and CLF favourite

Isabelle Basher: artist and arts administrator, dancer and former academic

Asiel Adan Sanchez: student, writer and advocate

Miranda Sparks (MC): comedian, geek and advocate for change

In the spirit of solidarity and recognition, the entire panel is comprised of trans women, without any cis folk hosting or presenting. There are too few spaces like this and CLF has always been committed to amplifying the voices that are too often ignored or overlooked, even when the discussion is about their very lives. I’m very honoured that the panelists trust us enough to share their experiences and insights with the CLF family and warmly welcome everybody who’s never been to a show before. We’ll also allocate a bigger than usual quota of Girl Gang tickets this month to help make the show accessible to people who might not have the cash for a ticket, especially trans folk. We so hope you can join us for what I think will be a brilliant and challenging show.